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  • Writer's pictureMark Derryberry

BACK IN BUSINESS

It's been a few days since the last blog, but it's been time well spent.


Over the past few months, I have been able to make a lot of progress with ankle recovery. It's had it's ups and downs, and I struggled at first. Many days challenged my ability to even use my right leg. Luckily, many of those days took place early on and have now been a thing of the past.


I owe a lot to the team at Houston Methodist who helped me every step of the way. Dr. Travis Hanson, PA Sean Townsend and Physical Therapists, Martina Void and Roy Nelson, were among those who I met with most frequently.


Dr. Hanson, who performed the surgery, has overseen my progress and gave me a full release on January 8th. During my last visit with Dr. Hanson, and his team, he mentioned that I had an excellent recovery.




I began riding again early December. I took it pretty easy in the beginning. At first, I only peddled around and got familiar with applying weight to the ball of my foot. It was a little tough and I had a bit of hesitance to commit, mostly due to the anticipation of pain and joint weakness. But with each new session, my confidence grew, as did my ability to use my ankle. I also purchased a pair of Space Brace ankle braces to use as part of the recovery process. The brace came highly recommended from a fellow bmxer and is used by many bmx and mtb top athletes.

Over the course of the my recovery, I have also become much more strict on my diet again. I've chosen to only put in good food, most of the time. I say most of the time, because there has been a pizza here or there and a birthday cake along the way. I also took the time to enjoy the holidays and all of the wonderful offerings that were available during those times. The majority of the time, I have only eaten foods that was prepared by Marti or myself. We usually enjoy grass-fed, wild or pasture raised meats, and organic fruits and vegetables. In addition to my whole food intake, I've also been taking 1st Phorm Micro Factor multivitamin, and consistently using 1st Phorm Opti-Greens and Opti-Reds. After each training session, I also used a high quality fast digesting protein called Phormula 1. I truly believe that all of my nutrition considerations have enhanced my recovery and allowed me to get back in action as efficiently as my body will allow.


I've now been riding and training again pretty consistently.


I think it's interesting how the experience of being injured can change your perspective on life and abilities. I somehow feel like I've come back stronger and more determined to do the things that I love and enjoy.


Riding bikes and strength training are now something I do every week. They both provide a sense of stress relief, personal development and satisfaction for me. Most of time, I'm alone when I do either, so there is also the presence of solitude. It's in these moments that I find the most benefit. Kind of like a meditation or tranquility. I think it's become a very important part of who I am and more of who I want to become.


As we continue forward, I will be sharing some more details on nutrition and the fitness aspects of what I feel is necessary to sustain this type of lifestyle. I'll be 40 in a few months, but I'll never be too old to ride bikes and have fun...


Thanks for taking the time to read this.


-Mark


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